Endoscope having a camera housing and method for making a camera housing

Abstract

The current invention relates to a method for making a camera housing of an endoscope having a camera housing arranged at the distal end of the insertion portion, said camera housing being a molded component comprising an outer surface, a camera device embedded in the material of the camera housing, a light source embedded in the material of the camera housing, an opening at the distal end of the camera housing, and a channel in fluid communication with said opening. The endoscope further comprises a tube which provides fluid communication between the channel in the camera housing to the proximal end of the endoscope. The endoscope further comprises a bending portion arranged at the distal end of the insertion portion and at the proximal end of the camera housing and where the most distal portion of the bending portion is embedded in the material of the camera housing.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of assembling an endoscope, said method comprising:
 placing a camera device having a lens, a light source, an electronic component, and an electrical conductor onto a support structure in a mould cavity of a mould, said mould cavity having an open end and a bottom with a bottom surface opposite the open end; 
 fastening a distal end of a control wire to a connecting portion of a bending portion of the endoscope, the control wire configured to articulate the bending portion of the endoscope, the connecting portion including two wire channels, a peripheral wall, a central hollow portion therethrough, and a cut-out on the peripheral wall between the two wire channels, wherein fastening the distal end of the control wire comprises passing the distal end of the control wire through one of the two wire channels; 
 placing the connecting portion and a distal end of a flexible tube in the mould cavity, the distal end of the flexible tube extending distally beyond the connecting portion; 
 injecting an amount of polymer material in a fluid state into the mould cavity from the bottom of the mould cavity such that the polymer material rises in the mould cavity toward the open end to at least partially embed in the polymer material the distal end of the flexible tube, the connecting portion, the distal end of the control wire, and the camera device, thereby causing a portion of the polymer material to flow transversely along the connecting portion to form a positive connection; 
 hardening the polymer material to form a camera housing, wherein the positive connection includes the cut-out of the connecting portion and the hardened polymer material; and 
 removing the camera housing from the mould cavity. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said amount of polymer material injected into the mould cavity is predetermined. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein hardening the polymer material comprises applying UV light to the polymer material. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the mould is transparent, and wherein hardening the polymer material comprises applying UV light to the polymer material through the mould. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein placing the camera device and the light source in the mould cavity comprises placing a most distal part of the camera device within a depression in the bottom of the mould cavity, such that the most distal part of the camera device is arranged in the mould at a location which is lower than a lowest level of the mould cavity which will be in contact with the polymer material of the camera housing when the polymer material of the camera housing is injected into the mould cavity. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the polymer material of which the mould is made is transparent. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising connecting the camera device to a frame member and rigidly connecting the frame member to the connecting portion before injecting the amount of polymer material. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein fastening a distal end of a control wire comprises securing a stopper element to the distal end of the control wire to prevent the control wire from pulling through the wire channel. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the flexible tube does not overlap the camera device when seen from a side of the camera housing, thereby enabling the camera housing to have a reduced cross-section. 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein a radial distance between an inner surface of the flexible tube and an outer surface of the camera device is less than a wall thickness of the flexible tube. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising inserting a pin into the distal end of the flexible tube before placing the distal end of the flexible tube in the mould cavity, and inserting the pin into a hole in the bottom of the mould before injecting the polymer material into the mould cavity. 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising passing the flexible tube through the central hollow portion of the connecting portion. 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the bending portion of the endoscope includes a plurality of segments including the connecting portion, further comprising connecting the plurality of segments before placing the connecting portion in the mould cavity. 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising placing the distal end of the flexible tube over a protrusion extending from the bottom of the mould cavity toward the open end of the mould cavity to form a working channel in the camera housing after removing the camera housing from the mould cavity. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the connecting portion includes a protruding portion, and wherein injecting the polymer material into the mould cavity includes at least partially surrounding the protruding portion with the polymer material. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the protruding portion is a ledge that protrudes from an inner periphery of the connecting portion, wherein injecting the polymer material comprises fully embedding the ledge in the polymer material. 
     
     
       17. A method of assembling an endoscope, the method comprising:
 placing a camera device having a lens, a light source, an electronic component, and an electrical conductor onto a support structure in a mould cavity of a mould, said mould cavity having an open end and a bottom with a bottom surface opposite the open end, wherein the mould allows passage of UV light; 
 placing in the mould cavity a first end of a control wire configured to articulate the bending portion of the endoscope; 
 placing in the mould cavity a distal end of a flexible tube; 
 placing in the mould cavity a connecting portion of a bending portion of the endoscope, the connecting portion including a peripheral wall and a ledge protruding therefrom, 
 injecting polymer material in a fluid state into the mould cavity from the bottom of the mould cavity to at least partially embed in the polymer material the first end of the control wire, the distal end of the flexible tube, the camera device, the light source, and the ledge, thereby causing a portion of the polymer material to flow transversely along said protruding ledge to form a positive connection; 
 removing the camera housing from the mould cavity. 
 
     
     
       18. The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the flexible tube does not overlap the camera device when seen from a side of the camera housing, thereby enabling the camera housing to have a reduced cross-section. 
     
     
       19. A method of assembling an endoscope, the method comprising:
 connecting a camera device, a light source, a support structure and a distal end of a control wire to a connecting portion of a bending portion of the endoscope to form an assembly, the control wire configured to articulate the bending portion of the endoscope, the connecting portion including a peripheral wall and a ledge protruding therefrom; 
 placing the assembly in a mould cavity of a mould; 
 placing a distal end of a flexible tube in the mold cavity; 
 injecting polymer material in a fluid state into the mould cavity from the bottom of the mould cavity to at least partially embed the assembly, the distal end of the flexible tube, and the ledge, thereby causing a portion of the polymer material to flow transversely along said protruding ledge to form a positive connection; 
 hardening the polymer material to form a camera housing, wherein the positive connection includes said assembly and the hardened polymer material; and 
 removing the camera housing from the mould cavity.